


Story of Evil

by StrawhatsAndDelibirds



Category: Original Work, Vocaloid
Genre: I don't know what this falls under, I'm just tagging it with the characters used in the song are I use different names, but role wise its pretty obvious who is who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-15 01:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13020561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawhatsAndDelibirds/pseuds/StrawhatsAndDelibirds
Summary: Can it really be called evil if the actions are born out of ignorance and learned behavior?Yes, absolutely.





	1. Chapter 1

Today was a day that the kingdom had been waiting for for years. The Queen had gone into labor, and finally there would be an heir to the throne. Her maids, nurses, and midwives had sprung into action, and all that was left for the nation was to wait.

The King had passed away from an illness but a short month ago and the kingdom was still in mourning, but the Queen carried on despite her pain and grief. All there was to do was to wait out the remaining time and let her ministers take the lead, and hope that there would be no need for a fourth pregnancy.

In all honesty, there was more than one reason they were happy about this birth. Over the short period of time the ministers were taking the lead, the citizens had grown to despise them. They obvious cared little of the people of the nation, and could have their voice bought and sold to the highest bidder. The Queen could only do so much from her bedside, and there was much she didn’t know of their crimes. Most couldn’t wait for their actions to come to light and them to have their position stripped from them and their ill gotten wealth given back to the people.

But on this day, there would finally be someone to take that seat, all they had to do was to overcome one last trial. As soon as they did that, the kingdom could collectively sigh a sigh of relief and have no need to worry about civil war tearing their nation apart over the succession to the throne, and no more worries of the greedy ministers doing as they please.

The capitol was alive with celebration to welcome their future leader. Soon after they were born, the rest of the nation would join in as countless people spread to the corners of their nation to give the good news. Bets were placed on whether it’d be a boy or a girl, or if they’d be as benevolent as the king, or as cunning as the queen. Cakes were baked to celebrate, everyone was wearing their best clothes, and everyone had a song in their heart.

On this day, they were also celebrating the end of the grueling pregnancy the Queen had gone through. It was a tough one, where the kingdom spent all of its time on the edge of its seat and praying for her safety and the safety of her child. There were times where they feared that they would lose their queen so soon after the death of her husband, and leave them with only an empty throne and the issue of who was going to fill it.

Today marked the end of their worry, as they marched forward into tomorrow. A tomorrow where they had peace of mind and no looming threat of war. Only joy and prosperity from the hands of the heirs of the best royal family one could ask for.

As the town celebrated the birth, everyone was hard at work in the castle. There hadn’t been a single easy moment in this pregnancy, and that was going to continue until the child was born. The halls echoed with her pained screams, as nurses and midwives barked orders to try and make sure this went as smoothly as possible.

They soon found that what was worse than hearing their beloved queen scream in pain, was those deafening silences where they fear the worst. The wait while they were waiting for screams or even pants as she struggled to regain her breath seemed to drag on for an unbearable amount of time. She’d always surge back to life as her grip tightened and tore new holes in the sheets and her hands, but the wait was always the hardest part.

There wasn’t much for them to do apart from wipe the sweat from her brow, and keep hoping that the long awaited heir would crown. But they couldn’t leave the side of their queen in what was the toughest battle of her life. They would stay by her and do everything they could, and bring everything they asked.

It was well into the night when finally the heir arrived. A beautiful girl, with eyes like her father’s, and hair as beautiful as her mother’s. She was the crown princess of this beautiful nation.

Shortly after her, another child was born. A handsome boy who matched his sister in every way safe the obvious. They were given to the Queen, to hold and to name.

She looked down at them with tears in her eyes as she held them close and gently, minding not of the fact that they were still bloody from their birth. Everything was bloodied, she did not mind.

“They’re beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for better children. The girl will be called Rena, and the boy will be named Laurence. You’re both going to do great things, I just know it.” She chuckled sadly into them. “Take care of each other. You’ll be unstoppable together, I just know.”

The announcement of the birth came the next morning. The kingdom was to acknowledge Rena as the heir to the throne when she came of age, and the passing of the Queen was announced after. It hit the town hard. To think that they would have lost the King and Queen in such a short span of time. The reign of the ministers had not ended, but only just begun. The only hope they had now was placed in their future queen. Queen Rena was their only hope of the kingdom going back to its former state of glory.

The birth of Laurence was not made known to the public, and instead was celebrated by the midwife that took him in. The Queen’s staff were the only ones to acknowledge his birth, and was cast aside by the ministers in favor of his sister. They would not be raised together, but they both shall be raised in the castle. One by the staff, and one by the ministers.

And thus, the stage is set, for this tale of tragedy and woe.


	2. Chapter 2

“Your Highness, your coronation is to take place in a few months, do you have anything in mind?” The lowly minister asked, as if she had given him permission to speak out of turn. She had no memory of letting him speak, and if she had, she wouldn’t have allowed him to ask such a simple minded question.

 

“Do you take me for a careless airhead? Of course I have. This is only going to be the most important event I am to ever attend. Do you take me for some sort of fool who would just let important things like this pass without putting the slightest thought into them?” Laurence, her ever loyal servant stood by her side and looked down upon him with the same intensity she did. It really did help to get her point across by having someone with the same face as her to stare them down.

 

“My apologies, Your Highness, I didn’t mean to offend, I merely wanted to ask. You haven’t really given much word on what you want done for it, and we need to get started on preparations soon so that we can get it all done in time. So we can make sure that everything is up to your standard, Your Highness.” The nobody coward at the foot of her throne.

 

“For the ceremony itself, I’m naturally going to wear something subtly beautiful. I need to look mature and regal. Something that shows the empire that their queen is ready to take full control. My hair shall be done in the traditional way, I want it to be exactly as it was done for my mother. At the moment of my coronation I want to look as regal and beautiful as my mother, so that everyone will know that I am just as capable as she was. And my shoes need to be flats that match my dress. Anything less would be an insult and I don’t care if no one will see them, they have to be beautiful.”

 

“Of course, Your Highness, anything for you.” The nobody interrupted. For that he was rewarded with her heel the the face, bless that she had not chosen to wear heels on this day.

 

“I’m not finished. After the traditional ceremony, I want reception afterwards. A lavished party that will show off both my power and affluence. I want ice sculptures of me, I want roses on everything. I’ll need only the best meals available and I don’t want a drop of anything to stain my dress, am I clear?”

 

“Of course, Your Highness.”

 

“And speaking of, I need a new dress for the party. It needs to bright, beautiful, and show off my best features. And of course I’ll need new shoes to match. I’ll need new necklaces, new rings, new hairpin, and new bracelets.”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“And most importantly, I need Prince Kenton to be there.” He was the most important part. He need to see her looking beautifully in her new outfit, and she wanted him to be the first to dance with her after she became queen. They’d twirl in the ballroom for hours, and he’d look her in the eyes and tell her how much he’s loved her, and how he’s loved her this whole time.

 

Then he’d tilt her chin back, and give her a gentle and timid kiss. And she’d gladly kiss him back. She would admit that she’s also had the same feelings that he’s had for her, but she’d just been too shy to admit them. They’d get engaged on the spot.

 

Soon they’d be planning for their two countries to merge in a sign of their love for each other, a love so powerful it moved borders. And he’d tell her how beautiful she looked on their wedding day as he saw her in her big beautiful wedding gown the first time and maybe he’d even cry. He was such a beautiful sensitive soul.

 

“Your Highness, while this is a lovely idea for a party and all, we have pression issues about the budget. Our country is presently in crises, I’m afraid we might not be able to afford a party that extravagant.” One of her idiot ministers drooled. He was supposed to be a smart man, yet he couldn’t understand that being queen meant that you could do whatever you wanted.

 

“Then get more. Raise the taxes so I can get the proper coronation I deserve.”

 

“Well that would be a good idea, Your Highness, the issue is that people are having a hard enough time paying the taxes as they are. We can’t really afford to raise them anymore.”

 

“Well then maybe they should have thought of that before they thought about being poor. We are raising this tax and the party is happening to my specifications. I am not about to let your failings ruin my party like this. I’m going to have a very important guest and if he’s not impressed than all of your heads are going to roll!”

 

“But Your High-”

 

“GUARDS! Escort this fool out of here. I don’t want to listen to him any longer. I have important plans to make and I don’t want him mucking about in them.” She waved her hand dismissively as guard came and drug him away. He kept yelling, but none of it really mattered. He was standing in the way of the queen, and that was a punishable offence.

 

“Laurence.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness?”

 

“See to it that he is eliminated. But I want to make sure he sees my party first. Preferably away from the party. I don’t want the guests to freak out.”

 

“Of course, Your Highness.”


	3. Chapter 3

Just as she had known, the coronation went without a hitch. She looked stunning the whole time, and the crowds cheered for her as she stood above them. It had to have felt the same when her mother stood in that very spot over the lowly populous. Powerful, godly, and magnificent could only partially describe how she felt.

 

And the dirty unwashed masses had to have felt blessed by her near divine beauty. It wasn’t every day a woman of her charm and grace stood out there for the common folk to see. Most days the thought of standing over them for them to see her splendor and glory left a bad taste in her mouth, because to stand out there meant she would have to look down at their flawed, well, everything.

 

This was different, however. Today had been a chance for them to see their new queen the moment she had been crowned. People had come from across the kingdom to see her, and while the unwashed masses still repulsed her, her first merciful act of queen was going to be to let them bathe in her glory as she was crowned.

 

Her queenly duties aside, now it was time for her enjoy the evening in style. Only the richest families, and foreign dignitaries could attend this party. She had even chose some of her best servants to carry out the food and care for guests. Laurence, being her favorite of them all, got to follow her around as she greeted the dignitaries and received congratulations for her big day.

 

Then she saw that one ignorant dignitary in the crowd. He was here with some woman who was either his daughter, or younger sister. It didn’t matter much because after he was executed she wouldn’t be attending any more of these social events. It was extra odd, because she hadn’t remembered allowing him to bring a plus one. How fortunate that he was being executed that he got to avoid getting reprimanded for this.

 

However she would greet him and his whoever the same as any other guests. She gave a deep curtsy to fully show off how beautiful her dress was, and Laurence bowed deeply as a sign of respect (even though they meant him no respect given his offending actions). He would be dealt with later and he would be out of her sight for good.

 

And then she saw him enter, her beautiful Prince Kenton. He was fashionably late, and his beauty and charm grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. She felt her heart flutter when she saw him, and it went wild once she saw him see her and start to come over to her. This was all happening so fast, this was like every dream she had ever had. Everything about him was perfect, from the way he walked to the way he looked, she couldn’t wait to hear his voice.

 

“You’re Queen Rena, right?” He said, in a voice that gently caressed her ears and left her weak in the knees. Like an angel that had descended from heaven, and was now gently saying her name in a way that never felt so right and left her feeling faint.

 

“Y-yes! You’re Prince Kenton, correct?” She hastily curtsied, fumbling with her dress in her hand, causing it to slip from her hand and only resulting in a partial curtsy instead of the complete one he deserved. An embarrassing shame that probably ruined their relationship in that moment.

 

“There’s no need for you to show such formality. After all, I am the guest in this situation. You’ve invited me into your home, if anyone should be showing you this level of formality, it’s me.” He mercifully pardoned, before deeply bowing to her. This had to have meant that he shared her feelings, and that their love was going to last a thousand years.

 

“And on top of all that, I’ve made you wait. My apologies, Queen Rena.” He humbly added. If a more perfect man existed, she wouldn’t have believed. No man possessed both the physical charm and verbal charm as he did.

 

“No no, not at all. The party is merely beginning. Why, we haven’t even started dancing yet. A party is not complete without dancing. But I do believe we’re starting soon.” She managed out, once more making a fool of herself in front of him.

 

“Oh, wonderful. When the music starts, may I have the honor of having the first dance with you, my lady?” He referred to her as his lady. Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest it was beating so hard.

 

“Of course. Laurence, be a dear and go check and see when the music is starting, and then go deal with that chore I mentioned earlier.” Hopefully he’d pick up on the fact that this meant she wanted the music to start right now so that they may dance together. The sooner the better, because this gave her less time to say something stupid and embarrass herself.

 

“At once, Your Highness.” He bowed and then hurried through the crowd.

 

“So I hope your trip over went well. Sea voyages always had sounded the most difficult.”

 

“When your country is an island, you quickly master the art of sailing. Perhaps my lady would like to see sometime?”

 

“Oh of course! That sounds marvelous!” She could just see it now. Both of them alone one a ship at sea, the gentle sea breeze kissing their skin as Kenton gently brushed a stray lock of her hair so that he could properly see her beautiful face. He was such a gentleman.

 

As if on cue, the music started. Laurence had done a good job. This was one of the many reasons why he was her favorites. Kenton briefly looked to where the band was, the back to her, offering her a hand.

 

“May I?”

 

“You shall.”


	4. Chapter 4

 

Without a doubt, he knew what his Queen wanted him to do. Laurence had worked under her for too many years not to know exactly what she meant. Asking them when they were going to start always meant that it had to be done now.

 

With the music now playing, it meant that he had other matters to attend to. It was jobs like this that he always had his dagger on him and sharpened. It would make it go a lot quicker and easier. Though with all the practice he had had over the years, disposing of someone like that minister was going to be easy.

 

The only difficult part would be to find the man. The party might not have been that big, there were still a lot of older men that he was going to have to sift through to find him. He knew what he looked like, because they had worked together for years. But had it not been for the fact that he had previously worked under both the Queen and his own mother, Laurence knew that this man would have been gone a long time ago. He certainly made sure he was a thorn in the Queen’s side the entire way, it’s a miracle he made it this long.

 

But being the Queen’s servant meant getting rid of every thorn that ailed her, a job he would continue to do without hesitation.

 

His looked over the crowd, and spotted a small gathering of older men, most of whom were ministers. That would be that thistle was hiding. He would carefully weave his way through the crowd and to the corner.

 

He did take a moment to notice how happy his sister looked as she twirled and danced with that foreign prince. These moments where she wasn’t burdened with country and needy ministers were rare and precious. Just like the smile that graced her face. He couldn’t think of a better gift for both of them than this party.

 

But him watching didn’t take long, as that plus one of the minister and the son of some other noble twirled in and blocked his view. Rude, but also to be expected. She had been unfortunate enough to be born to some lowbrow minister who would soon be disposed of like the weed he was. Luckily he wouldn’t be seeing her soon enough either.

 

Once he had made his way through the ball to the corner they all were standing in. He took a moment to scan through all the faces. His eyes locked onto the minister in question, and he waited for a break in the conversation. It felt rude to interrupt the last conversation he was going to ever have.

 

The conversation ended soon enough and attention fell onto him. They already knew that he was a messenger for the queen. Though given the great mood their Queen was in, they probably had no idea what was coming next.

 

“Excuse me, but may I speak with you in private, my good sir?” It was hard not to laugh at that last part, but the smile on his face because of it probably only served to lower his guard further.

 

“Of course.” He politely excused himself from his group, then followed Laurence out.

 

He made sure they were a good way from the ball, and in one of the lesser used hallways by one of the guard rooms. Out here the music from the party was silenced, and the guards were here to dispose of the body once the act was done. Somehow the fool of the minister failed to realize what was going on. If he did, he didn’t show it.

 

“So what did you want to talk to me about? Has the Queen reconsidered the taxes and found the money elsewhere?” He naively asked.

 

With a swift motion, the dagger was draw and shoved into the man’s throat.

 

“No, but she has reconsidered your position. She’s decided you’re better off in river like the rest of the criminal scum, you traitor.” Laurence answered.

 

The man had nothing to say, as he was busy choking on his own blood. He made a few pointless attempts to  save himself, but he was quick to bleed out. Laurence gave him one good stab the chest just to be sure.

 

As he watched the man crumble to the floor, he couldn’t think of how much of a mess he was making, and how he hoped that it wouldn’t stain the stone under him, and how he was going to have to work fast after this. This man had been just as much a pest in death as he was in life. Now he was going to have to clean up this mess and then go change before he could return to the ball.

 

But first, he’d have to get rid of the body. He’d knock on the door to one of the guard rooms. He’d simply borrow a few guards that weren’t presently on duty for a short bit.

 

“Yeah?” One of them curtly asked.

 

“May I borrow your, and perhaps a companion of yours muscle? I need assistance disposing of a body. It needs to be chucked into the river and while I might have the means to execute it, hauling it out to the river is another.”

 

“Fine.” The guard sighed with a melodramatic sigh, as if this were the most inconveniencing thing in the world.

 

“You have my thanks.” He bowed, as the guard left the room and threw the body over his shoulder.

 

He was going to have so much work, he feared that once he got all this clean and changed into clean clothes, that the ball would be over.

 

Ah well, time to get to work.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

With the party over and the Queen all settled into bed for the night, it was time for Laurence to get to cleaning. It was already late in the evening, so he was hoping that he could get this work done fast, so he could get to bed at a decent hour. There was still the benefit of the Queen sleeping in late because of how long the party went on, but he still had chores to do to get her ready for the day before she even woke.

 

Fortunately, it seemed like the other servants were still working hard, so that meant that the chores would be done even faster. He glanced over what they had done already. The floors in the entrance way and the ballroom were already swept and were being washed. Things were moved back to where they were supposed to be, so that just left the food and plates left in the kitchen. 

 

He hadn’t realized just how much work had gone into cleaning while he was busy helping the queen get ready for bed. He was impressed, because normally they took any chance they could to slack off so there was a lot of him making sure that people older than him were working because they couldn’t be trusted to do it on their own. It was frustrating, but this was refreshing. 

 

However once he got into the kitchen, there was a lot more palling around going on than he would be comfortable with. He wouldn’t say anything about it because they had done a considerable amount already. Attention went to him as he walked into the room.

 

“Hey! Laurence! How’s everyone’s favorite little servant doing?” A comment on his age. He was the youngest, and he knew that, but he felt that it was hardly something to bring up. He worked just as hard as the rest of them, after all.

 

“I am well. I’m pleased that you got the amount of work done that you already have.” Even as he walked further in, it seemed that it was mostly them sitting around while the last of what needed to be done got done.

 

“Yeah, we figured it’d be a nice little gift for you. You’re always working so hard and you always get overshadowed by the Queen that we all forget it’s your birthday.” Mason slapped him on the back. He wasn’t quite prepared for that, but he had always been a fairly rowdy man. 

 

“Well I appreciate the sentiment. Though you don’t have to put all this effort in for me, I’m quite content with the way things are now.” He did have to admit, that it was nice seeing them get work done like this.

 

“Hey, you’re one of us. It’s fine if we spoil you a bit. Not like anyone else is going to spoil you, even if you look like the queen.” 

 

“It’s an honor to look like the queen.” Though he wouldn’t be opposed to looking more masculine, he still took great pride in the fact that he did look like her. She was beautiful, so that meant that he also was beautiful.

 

“Still, if she were to piss anyone off, you’d also get a target painted on your back just from people mistaking you for her.” 

 

“It’d be an honor to take a blow for her.”

 

“Laurence, I know you love her, and you love your job. But you’ve gotta put some worth in yourself.” Mason looked a bit deflated and sad as he spoke. “You’re a servant, but you’re also Laurence. None of us wanna see you getting hurt because of this. Are you sure you don’t want to at least do something? Like with your hair maybe” He pulled it back, wasn’t that enough?

 

“When I have it back like this, no one would notice?” Mason kept smiling at him with that sad smile. 

 

“I was thinking about maybe growing it out or cutting it. But if you’re happy the way it is, I’m not gonna stop you.” He’d maybe think about growing it out. His hair was one of the parts he loved the most about himself. And Mason’s hair looked good long, even if it was pulled back. Maybe it’d look good on him too.

 

“Now why don’t you come have a seat. We managed to save a piece of cake for you. It’s not much, but it’s something.” 

 

“I couldn’t.” That was the Queen’s cake after all. He had no business eating food like that. At least without the Queen giving it to him herself. It just didn’t feel right.

 

“Well it’s not going to keep, so we either gotta toss it, or you have the last piece.” It was a little frustrating having Mason twist his arm like this. He knew he had his best interest in mind, but he couldn’t help but be a little pissed off about it.

 

But at least just this once, he’d relent. With a sigh, he accepted the plate and the fork. He knew just how much effort had gone into making it, and he couldn’t stand to see it just thrown away like that. It’d be an insult to everyone’s hard work, and he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

 

He took a bite. It was creamier and more delicious than he thought it would be. He had had tastes of delicacies like this, but pardon his pun, this one really took the cake. The most exciting part was that he could have more, and the one bite he took wasn’t all he could have. 

 

“Glad you enjoyed it. Once you’re done you can go to bed. We can finish up here.”

 

“Are you sure? I don’t mind helping.”

 

“Of course. Happy birthday, Laurence.”


	6. Chapter 6

Every now and again, trips had to be made to allied countries. Laurence couldn’t say he enjoyed most of these trips, but regardless, he did what he had to for his Queen. A little task like this was hardly anything compared to the anguish his Queen would feel if he wasn’t there to make sure every little detail was perfect for her. His stress mostly came from them not knowing how to properly prepare a villa. 

 

It would be nice if he could go ahead and make sure these preparations were made before they all left for the villa, but unfortunately he could not do that. He could leave his Queens side for a few hours, but to leave her for a week would be unthinkable. And if he left, she would have to deal with others making accommodations for her on her trip and how could he know they were doing it properly, and how could he live with himself if a slip up had been made on their watch and he hadn’t been around to correct it?

 

It still left him scrambling to get his work done. The kindness of their allies to give his Queen a villa as nice as they had was not lost on him, but it still vexed him the amount of work that he still needed to get done. 

 

He looked down at the list and sighed. Work out of country was always so much harder to get done. He never knew where anything was, and everything seemed so wrong to him from being so used to just knowing where things were in the capital. 

 

It was so stressful, and it seemed with every second he spent wasting looking for every stand in a marketplace, another thing was added to the list. It was always there, but he had simply gleamed over it in his frenzy, and he had really no one to blame for himself for not bringing a pen, and not writing his list better. 

 

It’d also help if it if the weather was better. The wind from the sea blew into the town and it left his list rattling and harder to read. As if this wasn’t tricky enough. He had almost gotten everything he needed when the wind decided to pick up and do this to him. Leaving the capital was stressful and he hated it.

 

An especially strong breeze came by, and as if to make him more stress, tried to blow his hat from his head. He had grabbed a hold of it, but unfortunately he had let go of the list and the wind was carrying it off. Today was just going to be one of those days, wasn’t it.

 

To make matters worse, he had to carry all the stuff he had already bought as he chased it so that made it near impossible. He was going to be late and he had no excuse but his own stupidity and that had to be the worst part about this. 

 

“Oh? Is this yours?” A voice that rang out like a delicate bell asked him. He stopped and looked at her. She was a local, he could tell by her beautiful flowing hair that she had tied back into ponytails that framed her face with skin as smooth and flawless like glass and eyes that looked as beautiful as gems he had only seen on his Queen’s jewelry, but had a softer look to them. 

 

“Oh, uh, yeah. That’s mine.” He bowed, and his hat almost fell off his head. Odd, why was his heart beating so fast right now?

 

“Here you go.” She handed him back his list with her beautifully unmarked hands. It felt like there was some sort of lump in his throat. Not like when he was sick, or on the verge of tears, but one that tried to keep him from talking. 

 

“Th-thank you.” He forced out. He couldn’t help but wonder why he was having trouble speaking all of a sudden. 

 

“I have to admit, I might have peeked at your list a tad, and it seemed like a shopping list. Would you like some help with it?” She asked. Part of him yelled loudly in his head to insist that he could handle it, because he was a capable man, but most of him recognized that he needed to get this done as soon as possible. 

 

“Yes, thank you. That’s very kind of you thanks.” She giggled a little. 

 

“Are you visiting from somewhere? You don’t look very familiar.”

 

“Oh no, I’m visiting with my Queen. She’s here to do business with the King here. I’m just getting things for her villa.” Part of him screamed for admitting he was just a lowly servant, but he carried on. 

 

“That’s nice. I hope it all goes well. Sorry if our marketplace is a little disorganized, we’ve been working hard to fix it, but it’s been trickier than it seems.”

 

“Oh if anything it’s my own fault for taking so long with these chores, I did a poor job of making my list this isn’t anyone’s fault but mine.”

 

Her giggle sounded like a delicate wind chime in the breeze and it made his heart start beating hard again. What an odd thing to happen. He still didn’t understand why that was happening, he’d be sure to look into this further later.

 

Despite claiming that it was poorly planned out, she guided him flawlessly through the booths and vendors, and he managed to even get some of his goods at a discount. He hadn’t even noticed that they had looped around and managed to get back to the place where they had met. 

 

“So was that the last thing on your list?”

 

“Yes, thank you. You’ve made this go by much quicker thank you.” She giggled her windchime laugh again. 

 

“Glad I could help. I hope I’ll see you around before you have to go back.”

 

“Me to.” Once more his heart beat fast, as she waved and left. 

 

He had to wonder, was this love?


	7. Chapter 7

Panic strikes him the moment he enters the villa.

 

Everything in there was a mess. It was like some wild beast had broken in and caused a panic. Vases layed broken all over the floor, paintings had been thrown and broken, light furniture was thrown, and pillows had been torn open and thrown about. How could a thing like this have even happened.

 

He had to find his Queen. If it looked like this out here, then she had to be in some sort of danger. He might not’ve been the strongest, but he couldn’t just let her stay in danger like this. Even if it was some wild untamed beast, he would fight as hard as he could so that she could get to safety as soon as possible.

 

He had left for a few short hours and disaster had struck and this could’ve all been avoided had he just been there to stop it. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something had happened to her in that short time he had been gone.

 

The sinking feeling in his chest got worse with every room he checked and she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. What if someone had taken her, and she was in danger somewhere because he hadn’t protected her. He wouldn’t be able to do anything else until he knew she was safe. He’d find those bastards, or that bastardly beast if he found out anything had happened to her.

 

The lack of other servants and guards made him worried, because where were they in all this? Had they just abandoned her when she needed him the most? It sickened him to this of the betrayal that must’ve gone on. And if he heard anything about this being their fault, he personally would make sure that heads would roll.

 

Over his own frantic searching, he faintly heard a voice that sounded like his queen’s and he ran to that room.

 

Perhaps more dramatic than he meant it to be, he swung open the door, panting and out of breath as he did so. He frantically looked around the room, and when he saw his Queen crying on the floor by her bed, he rushed to her side. Hopefully she could forgive him for his actions now and his lack of actions before.

 

“Rena, are you alright? No one hurt you did they?” She moved her face from the bed to his shirt, and he hugged her tightly, making sure that she knew she was safe and nothing was going to get her so long as he was here.

 

“Laurence it’s awful. My love Kenton has been stolen from me. Some awful wench has stolen his heart and now he’s rejected my proposal.” He could feel the rage rising in him, as he held her tighter.

 

“Rena, I’m so sorry to hear that. Forgive me for saying this, but he’s a fool for not thinking that you were the better choice. I could not think of a proper man worth his salt that would choose anyone over you.”

 

“What hurts me most is that right now we’re in that horrid wench’s country, and she’s no doubt basking in my love’s adoration as we speak. A country that has all but become part of our kingdom and they betray me in this way? How utterly disrespectful!” She took the words right out of his mouth.

 

“Is there anything I can do for you, my Queen. If it shall make you happy, I will do anything.” She already knew that, but a reminder never hurt anyone. Especially now when she needed it more than ever.

 

“Well, right now we’re preparing for war against this wicked country, but what I want more than anything in the world right now, it’s that awful wench dead. I want her dead before any of the other lowly scum of this country. Because she’s the one I want dead most of all and I can’t afford her being missed by some odd chance.” She tightly gripped his shirt as she spat out the last bit.

 

“Of course, my Queen. I shall see to it myself that she is dead.” Killing for her was something that he had done for her before, and something that he would do for her again. To make sure her reign was safe and prosperous, sometimes death just had to happen.

 

“Excellent. I knew I could trust you to do this. It’s the most important job of this trip, and if anyone could do it, I knew it’d be you.” She hugged him back.  “Someone will be back with information on her.”

 

“Once I get the information, I will get it done at once.” If she wasn’t presently hugging him, he would bow. “Now dry those tears. I’m sure you’ll find someone better. Someone that would make Kenton look like some common unwashed man.”

 

“Are you sure? Kenton was perfect.”

 

“Of course, my Queen. If he was truly perfect, he would love you back, would he not?”

 

“You’re right. Thank you, Laurence.”

 

“Anything for you, Rena.”


	8. Chapter 8

****

He was told where she lived, and now he was off to finish what had been started. She had wronged the Queen, and for that she had to die. Had it not been for the fact that his Queen still loved Kenton and the fact that the kingdom would have to go to war overseas to do it, he would’ve also killed that bastard Kenton for hurting her so much. But his orders were clear, and it was the wench that stole his heart that had to die.

 

The night air felt so much different out by the sea, and consideration as to where he was going to take her to do this deed was taken into consideration. There were small wooded parts near the outskirts of the city, and while he wasn’t exactly sure where this place was, it was starting to seem like it was close to the edge of woods there. 

 

It wasn’t like going to kill someone in the castle, where he could always get the guards to help with the deed if he couldn’t, or they’d be there to get rid of the body. Odds were where he killed her was going to be where her body stayed until someone found her and moved her, but by then the war would’ve probably already hit so she’d be low priority. 

 

As he walked, he couldn’t help but wonder who this wench was. Probably some cheap harlot, Kenton sure acted the part of the gentleman, but Laurence was starting to think of him as little more than a petty noble boy whose heart went with any harlot that he laid eyes on. He should have the same standards that his sister thought she had. 

 

But now was not the time for anger. It would only make him sloppy, and sloppy had no place here. He was going to do what needed to be done and then get out. Then he could be as angry about that male harlot as much as he wanted. 

 

He got to the door of where the woman lived, and took a moment to calm down, and then he knocked. He readied to meet this foul woman and deal with her quickly outside in the forest, and then return to his princess and tell her the deed was done. 

 

But horror was the only thing he could feel when the woman from earlier greeted him. She couldn’t be the one, there was no way that this was her. Surely he had the wrong address. The tight feeling in his throat was back, but it felt more like he was being choked.

 

“Oh, hello. How can I help you?”

 

“I’m looking for a Madalene. My Queen would like to speak with her.” Please let him be at the wrong house. He had never wanted to be more wrong in his life than in this moment.

 

“Oh, that would be me.” His heart sank, and he felt like it just fell right through his stomach. 

 

But he had a job to do. He wouldn’t be a very good servant if he failed her on a task as minor as this. He had been doing jobs like this for years. What would she even say if he chose to disobey orders for the same woman that wronged her before. 

 

“Would you please follow me? I need just a few moments of your time.” He would try and make this as painless as possible for her. He could at least do that. 

 

“Alright.” She said, not knowing for a second what had to be done. 

 

The walk was silent on the way into the forest. An eerie silence that made it seem almost like the entire world knew that he was about to do something awful, and that he should feel awful doing it. But it was for his Queen, so it wasn’t bad. It was an act of loyalty. So why was he being punished for staying true to both his country and the person ruling that country. 

 

He had never been made to feel bad about this before, so why now of all times? This was no different than anyone else he had killed. Why was she so different? Did he not also love his Queen? He had made his choice, why did his heart hurt so much?

 

He decided it was far enough when he couldn’t see the house lights behind him anymore. His lantern was set down beside his feet on the dirt path. The feeling in his heart left his hand shaking, and that familiar lump in his throat that one gets when they’re on the verge of tears.

 

“I’m so sorry.” He managed out in a choked whisper. Her expression turned to that of confusion, before he embraced her and plunged the knife into the back of her neck. He could feel as her body violently tensed, and then relaxed.

 

He had done it.

 

She was dead and he followed her orders. He did what he was supposed to do.

 

But why couldn’t he stop crying? He loved his Queen more than he loved himself, more than life. So why was he crying? She was going to be so happy about this, the woman who wronged her was gone forever and never coming back. He’d get to see her smile that made everything feel like it was going to be okay, and that he was doing the right thing.

 

So why wouldn’t the tears stop falling? 


	9. Chapter 9

Seeing these dirty peasants on her land disgusted her. Even more so that they hadn’t been stopped yet. She had guards for a reason didn’t she? Why did she even have them if they weren’t going to throw the unwashed masses out of her castle while they were running around her courtyard.

 

They were no doubt ruining countless of her possessions and that just meant taxes were going to have to be raised again. Didn’t they know that being pests was just going to bring pain to more people? Just because there was a lot of them didn’t mean that their actions didn’t have consequences.

 

And where was Laurence in all this. He had better be out there getting the guards in order. If not there was going to be serious issues! Didn’t he know that she needed him here with her?

 

She huffed, looking down on the unruly mob trying to force their way in. Didn’t they know they were interpreting her teatime? Laurence had even gone out of his way to get her a new fancy tea from the East that she was excited to try, and a tasty little treat that went alongside it. Every moment they were in here it just soured her mood.

 

It felt like too long that she was just sitting there watching the mob of unwashed masses make a mess of her beautiful courtyard that she liked to take walks in when she heard the door open and close. She already knew it was Laurence. He was the only one that came and went as he pleased. Everyone else had to wait, but Laurence was the exception.

 

“Laurence, can you believe that this?! These peasants are making a mess of my castle! They’re ruining my things, and making my tea late! Do they even know how much of a hassle they’re being?!” She huffed before turning to face him.

 

She was taken aback by what she saw. Because it was like looking in a mirror, but if she had the same soft eyes that Laurence always had. There were a few things wrong, like how she’d never even think about holding clothes like those. What exactly was Laurence up to?

 

“Laurence, we don’t have time for games! Can’t you see that the masses are doing with my castle as they please! I don’t have time for silly games of dressup! Just go and get the guards in action so that I can get my tea in peace!”

 

Laurence kept looking at her with a sad smile. What on earth was he still doing here? He needed to get to work right now!

 

“Rena, take my clothes, and put them on.”

 

“Laurence you’re out of your mind! Just get the guards, this is what they’re paid to do! You’re supposed to follow my orders!”

 

“I’m supposed to keep you safe. That’s always been my job. I want you to put on my clothes, and run as far as you can, as fast as you can. I’ll get you when it’s safe.”

 

“What are you talking about, it’s just a little revolt they’ll be executed later and it’ll all go back to normal.”

 

“Rena listen to me. It’s not safe for you here. Not now anyways. I’ll buy you some time.” Like he always did, he helped her out of her clothes, and into some of his.

 

“What about you?”

 

“You’re the queen of this country. I’ll be fine so long as you’re fine. Just promise me you’ll get out of here and get to safety. Just lay low, and I promise you that no one will notice. We’re twins, right?”

 

“But Laurence.” He pushed her. A touch much harder than he had ever given her before.

 

“Just go! I’ll get you when everything’s fixed.” She could feel the tear welling in her eyes, but she did start to run. He had handled everything just fine in the past, so he’d be just fine. All she could do was to trust him.

 

She ran out the door, only to be passed by the unwashed masses. A few spared her a passing glance, but they continued on into her room.

 

“You unmannerly dogs!” She heard Laurence denounce them, using a voice that sounded a lot like her own.

 

But she kept running. That’s what he wanted her to do. She had given him so many orders, so she could follow the one she was given. Nothing could stop her shameful tears for falling from her eyes. How quickly she had gone from having it all to having nothing, it was almost laughable, if she wasn’t still worried about her brother.

 

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. She had nowhere to go now, everyone was fleeing the castle as fast as they could.

 

She hid out in an alleyway in the town, and she couldn’t tell what she hated more, the cheers of how she had been captured, or what they would do with him if they knew he was lying about being the queen.


	10. Chapter 10

The cell he was in was cold, and his chains were painful. He had known from the start of this little incident that he wasn’t going to walk out of this alive, but he could only hope that this wasn’t going to be too much longer. He had made his peace, but every moment that passed seem to drag on forever. 

 

He kept catching himself glancing out the small barred up window in his cell. He wasn’t yearning for freedom or an out. He knew that at this point the pot had boiled over, and there wasn’t going to be a way to please the angry crowd without either him or his sister dying. As selfish as it was for him to want his sister to die instead of him, when the kingdom came to its senses after all this she could take the throne again, and get a new servant. Since day one he had always been replaceable, she’d find someone better and move on, and the kingdom could keep her beautiful smile. 

 

The only thing he wanted, was to know that she was safe, that him dying wouldn’t be in vain. He knew that the next little bit for her was going to be tough, and the fact that her own people were going to be the ones that made her cry burned him up. But there was nothing else he could do for her. All that was left was hope.

 

That woman from the party, presently decorated in scarlet armour, and a man that was obviously Kenton, walked into the tiny cell and stared down at him.

 

“You don’t have to do this you know.” She said.

 

“Well, seeing as you’ve already bested my army, and the angry mob you’ve assembled aren’t going to accept anything less than my death. Unless you’re going to free me yourself and talk down you mob I think I might have to.”

 

“You know I’m not talking about that.”

 

“Then I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You know damn well what I’m talking about, servant.”

 

“I don’t, because I’m not him.”

 

“Stop lying to me and tell me where the real queen is.”

 

“Well, seeing as I’ve been deposed, I can’t really answer that now can I?”

 

Kenton answered him with a kick to the chest that left him wheezing. He coughed a few times as he recovered from the blow. 

 

“Tell me where that bastard is. I want her to pay for her crimes.”

 

“You’re forgetting that I don’t have a drop of blood on my hands, every execution were done by people following the rules, and people just doing their jobs. If anyone here is commiting crimes, I’d say it’s you, little soldier. Without a queen on the throne, who do you think is going to rule the country?”

 

“Anyone would be better than her.” Another kick.

 

“Careful now. Wouldn’t want me too badly damaged. The people will still want to see me executed. It’d be awful if I were to die here instead.”

 

“If you just tell me where she is, you can walk away just fine. I can even help you to live a life free from her, if you just tell me where she is.”

 

He paused for a moment, and thought over his choices. He sighed.

 

“Alright. I can tell you where she is.” 

 

“See? This doesn’t have to be hard. I can set you up in whatever profession it is you want.”

 

“She’s right here where I’m sitting, and I want to be queen again.”

 

Another hard kick to the chest. He definitely felt something crack, but even where he sat now, the pain he felt must’ve been nothing compared to the anger that was boiling in both of them. 

 

He might’ve been about to die, but he was about to die as the winner. He had gotten all he had wanted. His sister was safe, and her attackers might’ve been alive, but they’d forever have to carry the weight that they had killed the wrong person, and the real person was out there somewhere, and they’d never know where. 

 

She gave him a sour look, and glared at him.

 

“Fine. You can take you death sentence if you want it so badly then.” He watched as they both left the room fuming. 

 

He was glad that up until the end, that he could keep being a good servant. He leaned against the cold wall and imagined his sister’s laugh. She always laughed when someone made a proper ass of themselves, and he knew that had she been able to listen, she would’ve laughed. 

 

It was the little things that were going to make these last few hours bearable.


	11. Chapter 11

Last night she had slept in an alley on the cold stones. Although saying she slept was generous, even with the added pain of the rocks under her and the elements of the outdoor night air against her gentle skin, Laurence taking her place for her weighed heavily on her. 

 

But they were foolish worries. Laurence had dealt with way worse than this before. He was strong, cunning, and charming. He might’ve been a servant but he did in fact have royal blood in him and it showed. No matter how silly they were, she was still worried about him. He was the only other family that she had after all. The possibility of losing him had never actually crossed her mind until this whole mess started.

 

He had told her to get out of there, to run as far as she could as fast as she could, but surely this would be all smoothed over soon. The unwashed masses were angry, yes, but if a few examples were made of them they would all calm down. Unfortunately waiting for them to calm down also meant her living on the streets.

 

Living on the streets was the least she could do for Laurence. It’d give him the time he needed to get everything smoothed over. It’d be counterproductive if she showed up on some noble family’s doorstep requesting sanctuary until this all blew over. She knew not a single one of them had a spine in their body and would betray her the first chance they got.

 

Until he got all this smoothed over, there was still the issue that she hadn’t had a proper meal since lunch yesterday. She hadn’t a cent to her name at the moment, and she wasn’t about to go rummaging around in the trash like some sort of animal.

 

How did the poor make their money anyways? She knew the ministers were always talking about agriculture. She could always acquire a farm and do agriculture upon said farm. And that lead to the question, who did she talk to to acquire her farm? These were peasant things, and she was a queen. How was she supposed to know these things.

 

Her musings about how one went about agriculture were cut short when she heard a commotion out on the streets. She would get back to her feet and brush herself off. Already the clothes Laurence lent her were in sorry straights. She would replace them with much better ones once this was all over with.

 

She hurried into the streets to see what all the commotion was about. This had to be them announcing whatever terms Laurence had agreed to. She could trust Laurence to make sound choices, so whatever he chose, she’d allow. Though she had to wonder why no one had been sent for her yet. Surely if this had all been dealt with, they would have sent someone by now.

 

Laurence was probably just going to make a grand show of it, and reveal himself as her servant, and then bring her out of the crowd. He always knew how she loved to make shows of things. It was how everyone would remember her status, even if they were the densest of the population.

 

A hand touched her shoulder, and surely this was going to be someone who was going to lead her to the stage and show them the queen was still there and she was still as popular as ever. 

 

“Laurence, I’m so glad you made it out alright.” That was right, If Laurence looked like her, than she had to look like Laurence. “I was so worried when I didn’t see you around the castle when we were all escorted out. We all thought you must’ve leapt in front of a sword for the Queen.”

 

Laurence would defend her sure, but he wouldn’t do something like that for her. Would he? The worries began to eat away at her heartstrings, with each string cut her heart sank lower and lower. But Laurence would pull through. He was always doing what would make her happy. And how could she be happy without him?

 

“Did you come out here to say your goodbyes? It’s not going to be pretty, and maybe not the best place for it.” Goodbyes? What did he mean by that? “But you’re not gonna change your mind, are you. One of your most valuable but most worrying traits.’”

 

The rugged older man kept a firm hand on her shoulder. It was oddly warmer than the hands the men who raised her’s. She couldn’t place why.

 

He lead her to crowd, she could just barely see her brother among the people. He stood up on a platform with a guillotine. That wasn’t right at all. He didn’t belong up there. She shrugged off the gentle hand on her shoulder and ran into the crowd. At least give her a goodbye.

 

Despite her small frame, she elbowed and forced her way through the mob. The sounds of them yelling for the Queen’s head were wounding. Not because it was her head next, but because her brother was next for her deeds. Someone who had done nothing but help her her entire life out of the love and kindness in his heart. And he was going to die for her.

 

Standing at the front, and for the moment he didn’t see her, she could see the fear and resignation in his eyes. He did nothing to deserve this. This should have been her.

 

But the moment he saw her, his expression turned to shock, and then a reassuring smile. Laurence’s friend was right. He had jumped in front of the sword for her. But yet here he was, smiling in the face of death for her sake. A death he had taken for her in her place. 

 

The least she could do was to smile back. A last smile to thank him for everything, as if a single smile could do any of it. 

 

Genuine smiles from him were rare, they were some of her favorite things to see from him, but it was bittersweet while he lay there on the guillotine. 

 

The bell tolled loudly through the square, silencing the mob.

 

“Oh, it’s tea time.” Laurence mused in his best imitation of her as the blade fell.

 

The sight was horrifying, and she covered her mouth and she wasn’t sure whether it was to stop herself from vomiting, or to stop herself from wailing.

 

Either way, she couldn’t allow herself to do either. 

 

Running away was easy, as everyone else pushed to get at the body to do lord knows what with it. She couldn’t do anything about it that wouldn’t let Laurence die in vain.

 

So she did what he told her to do. 

 

She was going to run as far as she could, as fast as she could.

 

And never return to her town again.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The news of the revolution’s success had reached far beyond the capital’s limits and even touched little towns such as Holly’s. The queen’s wicked ways were known far and wide, so no longer did they have to continue the ruse of loving her out of fear of execution. The joy and relief was so strong, that shops had closed for the day, and celebration filled the streets. Drinks and food were shared, and many embraced and danced with each other. Holly could feel the joy even from her little church on the outskirts of town.

She herself wasn’t going to join in the festivities. Don’t get her wrong, she couldn’t be happier that the queen had died. Holly had been forced to flee her old country because of her, and this was the only place where she could stay. Thrilled only barely begun to express her feelings for all this. But the bitterness of this victory not being able to be shared with Madalene soured the feeling of joy, and she’d rather not dampen the joy of the villagers. They had suffered just as much as she had, they deserved to celebrate. Holly would stay at her church and celebrate by herself by praying, and hoping that the restless souls of those that died by her wicked hands could find rest in her passing.

There was a fleeting moment where she contemplated asking for the queen’s soul to be damned, but at the same time she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The sins she had committed were more than enough to drag her unrepentant soul to hell. Not a single soul in this world was going to miss her, and that almost felt like enough of a punishment.

Her prayers were cut short by the sound of the doors to her church slamming open. A moment of panic gripped her as thoughts of the Yellow kingdom’s army bursting through the doors to finish what they had started almost a year ago. Her beads were clutched tightly as her wide and fearful eyes fixed onto the entry way.

Though her heart still raced, she relaxed a bit seeing it was just one of the men from the village. Holly didn’t recognize the girl on his back though. Whoever she was, she looked just awful. Frail like a little doll with pale skin and bags under her eyes.

“Sister Holly, I found her on the road to the village. I didn’t know what to do with her, so I brought her hear.” Holly had helped out the villagers on multiple occasions with small injuries. She wasn’t a doctor, but she still did pretty well in her own opinion. Though this was a lot more than a small injury, Holly couldn’t let this girl go. She needed someone to help her, and what kind of woman of faith would she be if she turned her back on someone in need.

“Take her upstairs to my bed, quickly.” Holly would rush upstairs and start making preparations. If for the next little bit she would be without a bed, so be it. She had been given new purpose in the church, and she didn’t get that way by taking the easy road.

The clothes that Holly had were no doubt going to be too big, but it would have to do for now. She would run her a bath and get her something light to eat. A porridge maybe, something that she could eat and not make herself sick when she woke up. This week she might be a little light on the food, but given that there was going to be a lot more food for the rest of them now that taxes weren’t going to bleed them dry, that was hardly any of her concern right now.

It was more than a few hours as she waited for her to wake up, and the afternoon sun had begun to sink beyond the horizon. But finally, her eyes opened. They were bleary and disoriented. The girl weakly tried to support herself to look at her new surroundings, but collapsed under her weight. The poor dear was barely more than a child. Probably a noble girl who faced the responsibilities for her parents’ crimes and fled before she could join them.

“You’re in my church and you’re safe. You may stay as long as you wish, but please stay and rest for a bit.” Holly leaned back to grab an extra pillow to help prop her up a bit, then passed her over the porridge. It had cooled a bit, but hopefully not too much. The girl’s face lit up and tears welled up in her eyes as she weakly took the porridge.

“Thank you so much…” Her voice sounded exactly as she looked. Holly’s heart broke. The world could be such a cruel place, and for it to be to the point where a child is as broken as this, was a tragedy. She hoped desperately that this child could be saved. Everyone deserved a happy time on Earth before they passed onto the next.

“You don’t need to thank me, dear. I’m sure you’ve already been through more than enough.” She’d give her a sympathetic smile. This era of grief and turmoil was coming to a close, and with it was going to be ushered in a new era of hope. Holly was sure that this girl could find a life for herself, just as Holly had done earlier that year.

She’d let the girl eat as she went and grabbed her some water. She had brought some up while she was waiting for the girl to wake up, because she was sure that none of this poor girl’s needs had been met. Holly knew what it was like to run and never look back. It was frantic and terrifying. Even now she had moments where she feared for her life and moments when she contemplated giving herself up so that her suffering would end. She wondered if this was the same way she looked when Mabelle brought her to this sleepy little fisher village.

For now the glass would be put at her bedside. She could drink it at her leisure, but so long as she drank it, Holly would be happy. A ton of questions swirled in her head as she watched the girl gingerly eat. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name? Or at least, is there something that you’d like me to call you?” She was going to be living with her until she got back on her feet at the very least.

The girl looked nervously into her bowl of porridge. The question might’ve been too much. It was hard giving any information when you were fleeing for your life. You never knew who was the wrong person, and who might be the one to either turn you in or kill you themself. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Sister Holly, but I’m fine with just Holly.” She wasn’t sure if this would put her more at ease or not.

“Renée. My name is Renée.” It was a nice name. Holly was glad that she was willing to give her that much information. Maybe it’d help her open up and maybe feel safe here. There was nothing more that Holly wanted than to make her home a safe place for all.

“That’s a wonderful name. I hope you feel better soon, Renée. You’re safe here and I will be sure to stay by your side at least until you are back on your feet.” Though she’d be a lot more comfortable if she were to stay here. She was still a child, and shouldn’t be out in the world on her own like this. Holly might not’ve been ready to raise a child like this, but she felt much better this way. Renée needed someone like Holly needed Mabelle, and Holly wasn’t about to turn her back on her and let her get into more danger like before.

“Thank you so much, Sister Holly.”


	13. Chapter 13

Days passed, and soon Renée was well enough to stand on her own feet again. She still looked frail, but at the very least she was moving about on her own. It was more evident that she was smaller than Holly, as her clothes hung loosely around her, but there was still the chance that she’d grow into them, and they’d fit a little better once she started eating more regularly.

Holly had been sleeping on the couch in her sitting room. It was well aged, and to the point where it was basically like being on a bed. Arguably not the best state for a couch to be in, but you work with what you’ve got. She couldn’t afford to buy a new one, and this one was still serving it’s purpose. That being said, it was better than the chair she slept in the first night, but the worry that gripped her could’ve also played a role in that.

She was getting ready for the day, when Renée left her room. It made her heart swell with excitement, because Renée was already doing so well. She was a little worried that this meant that she was going to try and leave soon, but she’d set those feelings aside.

“Good morning! How are you feeling this morning?” She had to do her best not to overwhelm the poor girl. Holly knew what it was like to be in her shoes. She knew that she had to try not to be too much. Renée was still quiet and not much for conversation. She no doubt saw some horrible things that still haunted her, and would for a long time to come.

“I’m well… Thank you.” She walked into the room and sat down at the table. Holly could faintly see her trying to be tall enough to see over the counter and see what Holly was doing.

“I’m just working on baking bread for mass later today. Would you like to help me?” She’d put it out there. She didn’t have high hopes, but she always found that keeping yourself busy kept you from thinking about what you went through. They kept you grounded in the present and out of thoughts from the past.

“Doesn’t bread just come baked?” She really did come from another class entirely. This was going to be a tough adjustment for her.

“Well, I could go to the bakery, but it’s cheaper just to make it myself. I don’t think I could keep up with mass every day if I had to keep buying bread for the village. Besides, I kinda like making my own bread.” It had a warm smell when it was baking, and it took her back to her little shop in the Green Country.

Renée had left her chair and walked over to watch her bake. Maybe she wasn’t quite ready to make the bread yet, but the interest was in there. “This doesn’t look very much like bread.” It was a little cute to see these genuine thoughts. It was like she was a little girl. It was also a little concerning, and made her wonder just how removed the nobility were from real life.

“Well, it still has to bake yet. This is just the dough. Once it’s baked it’ll look much more like the bread you’ve come to know.” Well, maybe not exactly. Holly was unclear on what kind of bread it was that the ruling class ate.

“Do all pastries look like that before they bake?” Renée watched carefully as Holly put the tray of little bite sized pieces of bread into the oven to bake.

“Some of them look a little different than that, but for the most part they all look pale and squishy.” Renée nodded thoughtfully. Perhaps she’d take an interest in baking. Even if the church life wasn’t for her, maybe she could ask the baker in town if he needed a hand and could help out there.

“So could you make that into brioche?” She was going to take that as Renée wanting that, but not being able to be direct about that. Holly couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Not that dough, that’s just bread dough. But I can see what I can do about showing you how to make some after mass. How’s that sound.” Renée didn’t verbally answer her, but the look on her face was all that she needed.

Mass came soon after. Holly lead the mass, and Renée sat in the back and did her best to follow along. This was possibly her first mass, but she looked like she was doing her best. As they had been doing all that week, they offered up prayers for the souls of those who had died at the princess’ hands, and for the state of their country to improve soon. There were a few calls for the soul of the princess to be damned, but as she had been doing, she’d remind them that this was a place of salvation, and not damnation. Hopefully this matter would be dropped soon, as it was getting harder and harder to deny their requests. She’d be sure to include a prayer for strength as to not give in to her urges in her own prayers later.

After mass, Renée seemed to be lost in thought. Something troubled her, but Holly wasn’t about to press the matter. If she was ready, she would come to her and talk. Holly wasn’t about to pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for.

They went upstairs to start work on the brioche. It had been a while since Holly had made it, but she still knew the recipe. Unfortunately, Renée still had something on her mind, and wasn’t very receptive to her lesson. She couldn’t win them all, and that was just a fact that she was going to have to accept. Maybe next time.

“Sister Holly, can I ask you something?” Renée asked while Holly was busy with the mixing.

“Of course. I’ll do my best to answer you.” She would set the bowl aside for now.

“Why does everyone hate the princess? She was their princess, wasn’t she?” That was a lot heavier of a question than Holly was expecting.

“Well, her taxes drove a lot of people to poverty. Countless people starved to death because they had to choose taxes over food. I’m sure a lot more people would have accepted it had it not been for how she lived in the hight of luxury. Every party she threw was another reminder to everyone else how she had everything and they had nothing.” It’d be heavy to share this with her, but she deserved to know. “I myself only started living here about six months ago. Until then, I was living in the Green Country. I was only spared because I didn’t look like the rest of the people there. But everyone else I knew and loved died in that war.”

She’d loosen the tightening grip on the spoon. “But that’s all in the past now. She’s gone, and we can get back to the days I used to hear about from the older folks about what the country was like fifteen years ago when the country was truly prosperous.”

Renée nodded, and went quiet as she took all this in. “I’m sorry I had to tell you all that, but you deserved the truth.” Holly felt bad about telling her. It was for the better, but she still had to tell her.

“What happens to people that do bad things when they die?” Holly had always thought this to be common knowledge, but Renée also probably never needed to think about her own mortality.

“Well, they go to hell, where they pay for their sins in the flames.”

“Is there any way to save them?” Renée seemed worried. She wasn’t sure if the girl was thinking about the princess or her own parents anymore.

“The only way for them to be saved, is to repent for their sins, and to be truly sorry for them. Otherwise there’s no hope. Their fate is, and has always been in their hands.”

“I think I want to go lie down for a bit.” Renée quietly left, closing the door to her room behind her. Holly would prepare the food for her, and leave it at the door. She could have it when she was ready.

Holly checked on the door periodically, not wanting to go in and bother her. For the rest of the day, Renée stayed hidden away. Every hour just made Holly feel worse and worse. Sometimes the right thing to do wasn’t the easy one, and she certainly learned that lesson today. Though she did think about whether it was the right thing to do or not while she was dozing off on the couch.

She woke up a few hours later in near complete darkness. The only light that there was came from the window in her room, to which the door had been left open. Renée was up. Though first Holly would check in to see if she was in there, then she’d check the kitchen. Weirdly enough, she didn’t seem to be in the house at all. She had to have left.

Going to the stairs, she could hear a faint sobbing. The sound got louder and clearer as she went down, until she could see Renée sobbing at the alter.

“Please. I’ve done so many sins in my life, there’s blood on my hands, my brother’s blood included. What I’ve done doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But I’m begging you. Please have mercy on his soul. His sins are nothing but my sins. He wasn’t the one to bring this kingdom and its people to this point. He didn’t order a genocide. Please. I’ve never spoken to you before, but please save him.” There was more to her plea, but Holly had heard enough.

The Daughter of Evil was alive, and she was in her church.


	14. Chapter 14

She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. How this was even possible was beyond her. The news was very clear in that the princess was dead. She was deposed and beheaded. There was no way she could of survived that, short of being an actual demon.

Holly found herself leaving the scene and returning upstairs. She moved as quietly as she could, as not to arouse suspicion from the demon princess. Rummaging through the kitchen drawer, she found a knife. It wasn’t a big knife, but it would be good enough to do the job she needed. Fate had presented her a chance. A chance for revenge and to truly make sure her departed friend’s soul was at peace.

It would be unheard of for a woman of the fate to kill, and certainly to kill a child. But no matter what she looked like, she was still a demon. And as a woman of god, it was Holly’s job to send her back where she belonged by whatever means necessary.

Going back down the stairs, she noticed that the demon was gone. She wasn’t about to let her get away. This would be her only chance to give that blood soaked wench what she deserved. A beginning to a centuries long penance no doubt, as her sins are used to fuel the fires of hell until there’s nothing left of her despicable being.

The door to the church was open. She must’ve fled again like the coward she was. There was no escaping the consequences this time. Holly would be sure of that. Holly left the church, following after the faint silhouette of the demon in the moonlight.

She watched and followed as she went through the town, and down to the beach that was a little ways out of the way. All the better as it’d be harder to hear her wails in town if they went farther out. They didn’t have to know about this. This could all just be forgotten as they damned her cursed name.

Rena went out into the sea, which would be perfect as her body could be drug away by the ocean and she’d never be heard from again. Her knife was poised to take the strike and end her life, but then Rena fell to her knees, still looking out to the sea to where something was drifting out to the infinite sea and gleaming in the moonlight. Holly didn’t care about that right now.

“PLEASE. IF WE’RE REBORN, PLEASE LET US MEET AGAIN.” She pleaded to the vast and indifferent ocean. If Holly was going to do this, now was the time.

Her knife was pointed at the vulnerable and exposed neck below her.


	15. Chapter 15

Time seemed to just slip by. It had to have been at least a few months by now. Winter had come and gone, and now was the beginning of Spring. It was a season of new beginnings, and from what Holly heard, it was going to be a great year to be a citizen of the Yellow Kingdom again. She hadn’t yet learned the name of the new queen, but however she was, Mabelle was still out there, and was ready to take down a tyrant again.

Speaking of, it had been a while since she stopped by to visit. It was understandable as she had to go through and find qualified candidates for the thrown. She was even dealing with the matters of state in the mean time. Words echoed from the last time they spoke. “I’m a soldier. I belong in battle, not dealing with every grievance of every court member with made up problems.” Mabelle said. She wondered how relieved she was that she could finally step down as ruler of the country.

Mass for the day had ended, so Holly found this to be the perfect time to get out and start planting her garden. There was something better about growing your own food. It also had the benefit of being cheaper than having to buy all her food. She couldn’t afford any animals, but this was at least a start. It was going to get better for everyone soon, so there was no real need to worry.

“Hey, it’s been a while. You look well.” A familiar voice said from behind her. Holly turned to see Mabelle leaning over a fence post. It was such a pure kind of excitement that Holly felt. One that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She was a little grimy, but she ran over to greet her friend with a hug. A little dirt wasn’t going to hurt her, not when she had had blood on her before.

“It’s so good to see you, Mabelle! I’m guessing the new queen has gotten the swing of things so you can relax a bit.” Mabelle leaned her head back with a groan.

“You have no idea how long the past few months were. Plus the years worth of garbage that I had to sift through and change. It felt like I was never going to get out of there. Luckily, Marguerite seems more than capable of taking it from here.” She rolled her head back into it’s proper spot so she could look at her again. “So what have you been up to? Church things?”

Holly couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. It couldn’t possibly be vaguer than church things, though it wasn’t exactly a wrong answer. “Well, since you left, I’ve been working here and helping out the injured.” There was an important detail left out, but that was neither here nor there.

“Glad to here you’ve gotten nice and settled here.” Mabelle let go of her hands and started to make her way to the church. “And to celebrate, I wanna make you a dish I learned in the capital. Turns out there’s a lot you can learn when you’re not a noble woman. It was like a completely different world when I was there.”

While she would be thinking about whether or not that last detail was a good or bad thing, a more pressing issue was bothering her. And that was that Renée was upstairs, and that Mabelle was going to recognize her and this was going to get bad.

“Why don’t I treat you to something in town. You’ve come so far and I don’t want the first place for you to visit be my messy house.” Holly rushed to stop her, but Mabelle seemed to keep one step ahead of her. Holly’s tone didn’t seem to come across properly.

“Don’t worry about it, Holly. Just like a little dirt on your hands won’t bother me, a messy house won’t upset me. You don’t have to worry about impressing me, I already like you.” Mabelle entered the church, and the smell from upstairs wafted down into the main hall. “Oh, so you’re just holding out on me, huh?”

Panic gripped her and Renée’s wellbeing was on the line. “Those ones were mess ups, they smell way better than they taste trust me. I’ve gotten out of practice and I don’t want you to taste my mistake batch.” But there was no stopping Mabelle, no matter how she pleaded.

“Come on, Holly. You’ve never baked anything bad in your life.” Mabelle opened the door, to Renée standing in the kitchen, pale as a sheet with a tray of Brioche in her hands, staring them down like a frightened animal.

The ton in the room immediately changed as Mabelle turned onto the offensive. She was only stopped by Holly standing in her way and her lack of sword. “Holly I’m going to ask you once, to get out of my way. I’m going to finish what I started.”

“Mabelle you’ve got the wrong person! This is Renée! She’s a fellow sister that lives here with me!” It was part truth and part lie. She had been baptized as Renée and followed her into the life of the church, but she was still the person in question, even if she had been nurtured by faith to work towards healing the people as a penance for her actions. A lifetime of servitude for what was a lifetime of sin.

“I’ve spent years at her side at parties, I know what she looks like.” Holly had to try to hold onto her to restrain her as Renée abandoned the tray and coward behind the counter. Fortunately the tray landed on the counter and not her.

“That’s not her! Just trust me. Talk with me downstairs for a minute.” Holly pleaded. Mabelle glared at the cowering girl behind the counter.

“Fine.” It wasn’t going to be a pleasant talk, but it was going to have to happen. They went down the stairs in tense silence, before sitting in the pews. They were before god, and this was a safe space.

“She’s not the same girl that she once was. I don’t know what happened, maybe it was the money, maybe it was consequences for her actions, but she’s not the same girl.” And to be truthful, she really didn’t know. But Rena seemed to have died that day, and while Renée still carried her sins, she was a small meek girl.

“She was the one responsible for Madalene’s death. She killed an entire nation on a whim. And you’re just going to let her into your home like it’s nothing?” Mabelle’s rage was understandable. Holly knew it, she felt it before.

“We can’t undo what she’s done, but she’s trying to do better. She’s devoted her life to the church and is helping out in this little town.” She worked hard to learn the lessons the church held, and even harder to try to be the kind of person that god wanted her to be. “I look at her and see the girl I used to be. Back when I had no one and wanted to die.”

“She has good reason to want to die, she’s a horrible person. She deserves her solitude too.” Mabelle was getting heated at this point, and Holly completely understood.

“It’s my job to take in the hurting. Good or bad, if they come to me I take care of them. If they’re doomed to hell no matter what, then at least I’d have tried. Judging souls isn’t my job. I spread the good news to try and save souls and ease the pain of the living. And Renée is really trying. I know it’s something you don’t want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

“But it’s my job to keep the country safe. Do you know how much blood is on her hands? All of it comes from the innocent. Can you really trust her to be in the same place as you?” She knew this came from a place of care, but she wasn’t right this time.

“Mabelle, if I promise you that if anything ever changes that you’ll be the first to know, will you accept my decision?” It was a plea at this point.

“If she turns out to be exactly who I know her to be, I’ll cut her down no matter when or when. Even if she’s in a church in the middle of a service, that will not stop me.” And Holly knew that was a fact.

“I can accept that.”

“I’m gonna go for a walk.” Mabelle left the church, leaving Holly alone in the holy place. So as one does in church, she knelt down and leaned her head against her folded hands.

“Madalene, I’m sorry that I couldn’t get your revenge. Besides, you have a heart as gentle as my own. You wouldn’t be happy if I had done that for you in your name. Please continue to look over me from the other side.”

She got up to go check on Renée, and once more that night was on her mind. The knife had been discarded into the see, and she took the child who had begged for the forgiveness of another soul before her own into her arms and took her home.

But even now, she couldn’t help but wonder who that boy she had saw was.


End file.
